Chinese (Simplified) 
Chinese (Traditional) 
English 
French 
Alemão 
Italian 
Japanese 
Norwegian 
Spanish 
3 min read
9 comments
Strategic decision by the Ministry of Education on distance learning courses seeks to preserve the quality of education and impacts thousands of students
The Ministry of Education (MEC) made official this week one of the most anticipated and discussed measures in recent years: the ban on 100% distance learning courses in the areas of Engineering and Health.
During the plenary session of the Federal Council of Engineering and Agronomy (Confea), on April 25, 2025, the Director of Higher Education Regulation, Daniel Ximenes, confirmed that the decree will be published by May 9.
According to Ximenes, areas such as Engineering, Physiotherapy, Pharmacy, Speech Therapy, Biomedicine, Nutrition, Physical Education and Nursing require a strong face-to-face workload to guarantee the technical competence of future professionals.
-
MEC prohibits distance learning degrees in medicine, law and other courses; check out the new rules and requirements for distance learning!
-
SEDPcD opens 1,5 vacancies for a free online sign language course; sign up and learn sign language now!
-
Senai offers 1.140 places on free professional qualification and improvement courses; sign up now!
-
Secure your place on free language courses: registration for English, Spanish, French and Italian at the Language Center until September 25th!
Buy
The movement follows the same line as what already occurs with undergraduate Medicine, which prohibits the EAD modality.
The president of Confea, Vinicius Marchese, celebrated the decision as “historic” for the defense of quality education.
The Confea/Crea system has been warning for years about the risks of the proliferation of fully distance learning courses in areas that require practical and in-person experience.
Distance learning sector to be restructured
Another highlight is that the MEC will also implement stricter rules for the existence of in-person support centers for distance learning courses.
Currently, there are around 50 thousand poles in the country.
However, the forecast indicates that at least half of them will not meet the new structural requirements and will be closed.
The objective is clear: to preserve academic quality and curb the irresponsible massification of higher education, which compromised the reputation of several courses and put the job market at risk.
Private higher education institutions will have a transition period to adapt to the new guidelines.
However, those that fail to meet the new standards will be de-accredited.
Change increases the prestige of face-to-face teaching
This decision also marks a repositioning of the value of in-person education in Brazil.
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the expansion of remote learning in several areas.
However, it also revealed serious deficiencies in courses where practical contact is essential.
Therefore, the MEC reinforces that it is not against the EAD modality itself, which continues to be a viable alternative for several areas.
However, it advocates that its application in sensitive sectors should occur responsibly and with clear limits.
A new scenario for students and institutions
With the new regulations, students who intend to enter the areas of Engineering and Health must be careful.
The requirement for physical presence will be mandatory for a large part of the course, leaving EAD with only a complementary role.
Institutions, in turn, will be compelled to invest in infrastructure, laboratories, libraries and qualified teachers to offer excellent in-person teaching.
Timeline
- April 25th 2025: MEC publicly announces the change during Confea plenary session.
- 9 May 2025: Estimated deadline for official publication of the decree with the new rules.
- From the publication: Beginning of the transition period and inspection of EAD centers.
Amid so many changes, Brazil makes clear its search for a future where the training of engineers, physiotherapists, nurses and other essential professionals is based on practice, ethics and quality.
Sources: Confea, State, Economic Value.
The question is, what will this transition period be like? What will happen to those who have already completed more than 50% of their course? There will certainly be a significant increase in costs, not only for institutions but also for students. There will be situations where students will have to travel more than 200 km to the on-site campus. What will happen to this? There are many questions and the answers will certainly not be enough for everyone.
I am in favor of improving distance learning, but it will come at a very high price for a portion of the population. Many employees will be laid off at the centers (50 centers have an average of 3 people per unit, many will be laid off) and many others will lose access to higher education, as tuition fees will certainly be readjusted, in line with the increase in operating costs for each course.
The recent decision by the Ministry of Education to impose a 50% in-person format on Civil Engineering courses is a setback in the globalized and digitalized world in which we live. Instead of expanding access to quality education, we are returning to an elitist model that favors those who can pay high fees for in-person colleges and bear additional costs for transportation, food and time — a reality far from most Brazilians.
For the average worker, especially those who work a 6x1 workday, as is my case, this decision simply makes it impossible to continue studying. I am enrolled in a Civil Engineering course in Natal (RN), but I work for a construction company in Mato Grosso, in a region with no on-site campus within a 1000 km radius. For me and many others, distance learning is the only possible alternative to balance work and study without giving up on the dream of higher education.
Furthermore, it is regrettable to note that institutions such as CREA and CONFEA, which should stand up for our class, remain silent. They turn a blind eye to the failure to comply with the minimum wage and accept that engineers are hired as technicians or analysts, further devaluing the profession. Instead of mobilizing to guarantee rights that have already been won, they remain silent in the face of setbacks.
This change, in addition to being exclusionary, disrespects the principle that the left has always defended: access to fundamental rights for minorities and workers, including education. President Lula's popularity is already facing serious challenges, and if this measure goes ahead, it could precipitate an even greater disaster, signaling the abandonment of the base that has historically sustained the left in Brazil. At a time when we should be talking about democratization and innovation in education, the government is opting for the path of restriction and exclusion.
Reversing this decision is not only sensible — it is necessary to keep alive the hope of a more just and inclusive country.
These distance learning courses are a step backwards. We need to see the engineers who are graduating, who don't know how to do any math. CREA really needs to stop this locomotive. I know colleagues who are doing engineering on the basis of odd jobs. It's a disgrace. Of course, CREA shouldn't just see this, demand compatible salaries in engineering, and not accept this role of engineering analyst, but this is the beginning. Congratulations!!!
PT wants to preserve the **** of public universities that should have been privatized a long time ago